Wire-gate fastener and tightener.



C. B. JONES WIRE GATE FASTENER AND TIGHTENER.

APPLICATION rlLn NOV. 2, 1914.

1,268,471.. Patented June 4,1918.

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CABLE B. JONES, OFWHITEWOOID, SOUTHDAKOTA'.

WIRE-GATE FASTENER. AND TIGHTENER.=.

Specificationof Letters latent.

Patented June4, 1918;.

Application filed November 2, 1914', Seria1 No. seasso.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CABLE B. Jones, a citizen of the United States, residing at Whitewood, in the county 'of Lawrence, State of South Dakota, have invented certainnew and usefullmprovements in 'Wire- Gate Fasteners and Tighteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to wire gate fasteners and tighteners and has for an object to provide an extremely simple and inexpensive means for stretching and holding taut a wire gate in closed position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character including but two main pieces, that is, a tightening lever for engagement with the gate rod and a bracket arm for pivotally supporting the lever upon the gate post.

With the above objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be made in the minor details of construction Within the scope of the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating this invention Figure 1 is a View in front elevation showing a gate equipped with my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 4. is a detail perspective view of the device, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the device in inoperative position, the same being shown attached to a fragment of the post.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts, 10 designates a gate post, 11 fence wires, and 12 the gate wires, the latter being connected by an upright 13 which as usual is inserted at the bottom in a loop 14 carried by one of the gate posts for closing the gate, there usually being another loop on said post for engagement with the top of the upright to hold the gate stretched when closed. The

present invention contemplates providing amore effective means for holding the gate wires stretched taut than the usual upper loop, and to attain this end the following mechanism is used.

A link 15 including spaced parallel arms and a connecting bight portion is secured by staples 16 engaged over said bightportion and into the post 1.0 near the top. A. second link 16" is pivoted between the free ends of, the arms. and, preferably formed from a single length of strap metal bent upon itself to provide arms including portions having at one end an inwardly arched or rentrant bight 17 resulting in the formation of an end socket as illustrated, the opposite end portions of the arms being bent into contact and being bolted together as shown at 18 near their free ends and being terminally forked as shown at 19. Pivots 20 are passed through the free end portions of the arms of the link 15 and through the arms of the link 16 adjacent to its bight.

In operation, to lock the gate closed, the

upright 13 is passed in between the arms of the link 15 after the lower end of the up right has been inserted in the loop 14 in the usual manner. The link 16 is then rocked on its pivots with a resultant carrying of bight 17 toward the post, the upright projecting up from between the arms of the link 15 during the final stages of rocking movement and lying within the concavity of the bight 17 as shown, the rocking movement of the link 16 being continued until the fork of the link receives the top wire of the gate. In this position of the parts the top wire of the gate holds the link against displacement while the link exerts a pressure on the gate upright 13 toward the post 10 and maintains the fence wires stretched taut.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided an extremely simple and inexpensive gate fastener and stretcher that will be strong and durable and will be formed of a few parts that are effective in operation and will not easily get out of order.

Upomparticular reference to Fig. 5, attention is called to the fact that by reason of the fact that the fastener is permitted to drop down against the post, places it out of the way and permits a full clearness in the gate-way between the posts. This also protects the device from being broken off by animals passing therethrough or by being struck by a vehicle. I

What is claimed, is

A wire gate fastener comprising a link including spaced arms and a connecting bight portion, the latter having means for pivotally connecting it with a fence post to permit of swinging of the opposite ends of the arms toward and away from the post 5 and a second. link comprising arms having spaced parallel portions and a connecting re'efntrant bight portion at one end, the arms at the opposite end constituting a wire-engaging fork, the second link being disposed 10 between the free end portions of the arms of the first link to which they are pivoted at points adjacent to the bight of the second link, whereby a gate post disposed between the arms of the first link will be engaged by said reentrant bight and urged in the 15 direction of the bight portion of the first link when the second link is pivotally moved to receive in its fork a wire attached to said post.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa- 2O ture, in the presence of two witnesses.

CABLE B.-JONES." Witnesses: V

T. C. GAY, LEON Mosns. e

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). 0. 

